Flying to Buenos Aires soon? Remember to take ready cash with you

Main Entry: rec·i·proc·i·ty

Pronunciation: \ˌre-sə-ˈprä-s(ə-)tē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural rec·i·proc·i·ties

Date: 1766

1 : the quality or state of being reciprocal : mutual dependence, action, or influence
2 : a mutual exchange of privileges; specifically : a recognition by one of two countries
or institutions of the validity of licenses or privileges granted by the other


Starting this week, Argentina is now imposing a "reciprocity tax" on tourists arriving from countries that charge its own citizens for visiting rights. The tax levied by Argentina will be in line with the charge made for visas to the other country, so for example US citizens visiting Argentina will have to pay U$131 before getting their passport stamped because that's what the USA charges Argentinians when they want to visit the States. Then Canadians will pay U$70, Australians U$100, etc.

Quid pro quo, suckaz.

Peru: A billion here, a billion there..........

.....and pretty soon we're talking about serious money.

Remember this chart from a few days ago that shows Peru's rapidly shrinking GDP forecasts for 2009?


Well, add another notch down to that. On top of the $4Bn or so that lower metals prices are going to lop off exports, on top of the wholesale job layoffs in its industry, on top of the sharp downturn in foreign remittances at make up 2.5% of Peru's GDP, on top of the indefinitely deferred capex projects we'll be hearing about soon...on top of all that, Peru's tourist industry (as predicted) is crumbling. This report in El Comercio today has the head honcho of the Society of Hotels of Peru (SHP) as saying bookings and reservations are down 30% (yep, thirty) from 2008 levels. To get that into context, tourism in Peru was an U$8.7Bn business last year and accounted for 7.5% of country GDP.

Also, it's worth remembering that unlike mining, tourism is a very labour-intensive industry (waiters, tour guides, hotel receptionists, drivers, park keepers etc etc) and this kind of downturn will be felt keenly in the pockets of José Publico (in fact, here's a little link that explains tourism provides one in every 14.6 jobs in Peru right now).

But all this doesn't count, because Twobreakfasts said Peru is going to grow 6.5% next year and thus it shall come to pass. Or was that 6%? Or maybe it was 5%? That's what comes of pinning your growth prospects on a birdshit museum, y'see.

Make sure you're sitting down for this one: Tourists Get Charged More Than Locals In LatAm

Argentina's daily "Clarin" today picked up on an old chestnut in this story. They pointed out dual pricing was against the law but even so tourists get ripped for a few dollars more while tripping in Argentina. It tried to sound all shocked and indignant, but really the surprise level is zero. So as a tall, white-skinned gringo with over a decade in the region and wide and varied travel history, here are a few I've had the pleasure of coming up against:

Taxi drivers. This one is close-on universal, from the innocent and totally payable 1 Boliviano extra I'm charged in La Paz, to the dollar or so they'll add on in Colombia (no worries) to licenced bandits on wheels. "Ah, pero Meester, the meter is in dollars, not Pesos" in Buenos Aires. "Ah, pero Meester, the meter charge is per person and you are two people" in Montevideo. I think my favourite is Lima airport, though. Just for the laugh nowadays I put on my bad "cuantow cuestarrr to Mirarrflouresh?" act just outside the door on leaving the main terminal, and get told something between U$40 and U$60 in reply. I then walk three minutes to outside the airport gate and get a S/20 (U$7) ride to the same place. Bless 'em!

Police officers. I was a biker while living in Argentina. There you put a 20 peso note in the left side of the leatherette licence-holder. If a policeman stops you, just hand the thing over and wait. He'll walk to his car, walk back, say "thank you, everything's in order" even if the licence has a picture of Che Guevara instead of you, and return your licence with smile and sans banknote. It's not a bribe, it's just the way it is when you're a foreigner.

Restaurants.
"Waiter! This check says the meal was 10 pesos! On the door it says 5 pesos!"
"Yes sir, it's 5 for the meal and 5 for the cover charge."
"Yeah right."
"Tips aren't included, by the way." (smiles)

Hotels. Trying to explain to a tourist that you can (in fact 'should' is a better word) bargain the ticket price for a room in any grade of hotel in any part of the continent is difficult. That price on the wall behind reception is there for just two reasons:
1) To make locals feel like they're getting a bargain for 30 when it says 50.
2) To charge gringos.
I guarantee that nobody in a hotel will ever get annoyed if you say "got anything cheaper?".

Shoeshine boys. Look, I don't mind paying a coin extra, I really don't. But when they tell me that black shoe polish is U$3 a tin it just gets on my nerves. Every single freakin' time.

Beach vendors. On a two week vacation in Buzios, Brazil, every day at the same time the guy came round with hammocks for sale. Day one was U$50. Day eight was Rs11 (about U$5) and a sale and we shared a beer to celebrate.

Lan Airlines. I like the service and the planes, but I hate hate hate the way I cannot pay the local prices while sitting in the local country just because I have a gringo credit card. For your information, foreigners unwittingly pay up to double for their ticket on Lan's internet booking service. So I don't bother anymore; as I live close to an airport I just take a taxi down there and pay cash at counter.

An ex-neighbour once asked me if he could 'pinchar mi luz' (i.e. tap into our house's electricity line and get free juice from us). When I said no, he comes out with "but you're a gringo, you must have money." Bless him!

There are plenty more. The plain fact is that I do pay more than a local local, and if it's a coin here and a coin there it never bothers me. But when you flag down a taxi with a small kid in school uniform and ask to go to an out of the way barrio (i.e. our house) and the dude looks you up'n'down and promptly doubles the normal asking price, it does kinda get a bit too much. Whatever the good or service, large or small, there's a 'fair price'. My idea of a fair price to pay is a 10% gringo premium, not 100%.

PS: If you're offended in any way by the word 'gringo', get a life.